When even the fate of death is in danger – a review of the book “World of Warcraft: The Awakening of the Shadows” by Madeleine Roux

Another book was added to the already expanded World of Warcraft universe in September. This time, a prequel to the upcoming Shadowlands expansion pack has hit our market . However, did he explain how the events in the preview of the game happened?

Since Sylvanas Bieżywiatr betrayed and disappeared from the gates of Ogrimmar, both the Horde and the Alliance have been looking for her. Each side is afraid of what the Banshee Queen is up to again and what tragedies her actions will lead to. King Anduin allows Alleri Runner – the Void elf and sister of the escapee, and Turalyon – the paladin and Alleri’s partner – to use any means, even cruel ones, if they only allow him to catch the fugitive, to speed up the search for Sylvanas. At the same time, the Horde Council is struggling with internal problems, because without a leader, it must learn to make decisions and communicate between its members, and they can be relentless. In addition, during the Council meeting, an assassination attempt takes place on the queen of Zandalars – Talanji, who eventually decides to leave the congregation and return to her homeland. Fearing for the troll’s life, Thrall and his allies send their ambassador to her – a spy for the young shaman Zekhan, who experiences attacks on the spot by members of a rebel group called Widow’s Fang. However, not only Talanji is in danger, but over time it becomes apparent that Bwonsamdi, or the loa of death with which the ruler’s fate is intertwined, has become the target of Sylvanas henchmen. Will there ever be peace in this world again? with which the ruler’s fate is intertwined, he became the target of Sylvanas’s henchmen. Will there ever be peace in this world again? with which the ruler’s fate is intertwined, he became the target of Sylvanas’s henchmen. Will there ever be peace in this world again?

From zombies to Warcraft

Madeleine Roux is an American writer with a degree in Creative Writing and Acting. I am not aware of her successes in the stage field, but when it comes to literature, the woman gained popularity with her online zombie series entitled Allison Hewitt Is Trapped, and then reinforced it with the horror series YA Asylum. Awakening of the Shadows is the second WoW novel she wrote, and the first of her pens I had the opportunity to read.

When the trailer of the game encourages you to read the book

Appendix Shadowlands announced some time ago, but still remember when I watched the trailer YT and I felt a thrill of excitement. I’m not a die-hard WoW fan following every news about it, I’d rather describe myself as an occasional user of content related to it (I used to play WoW and HotS a few years ago, and I still turn on Heartstone). However, the above-mentioned announcement interested me so much that I finally decided to reach for a book from this world and supplement my knowledge, while checking whether the publications related to games are something I like.

Everything is connected

Reading the novels from Madeleine Roux was extremely enjoyable. The writer definitely has a good technique, because both the world presented, as well as the characters and their dialogues, were refined. There is always something going on in the book, and the multitude of threads means that you have to be focused all the time so that we will not miss anything. However, it is certainly not a book that can be reached without knowing (at least partially) the Warcraft universe. Despite the fact that from time to time there are additions from previous events, the sheer number of heroes may overwhelm, let alone understand all the relationships between them. The way of presenting events also requires constant concentration from the reader, as we observe events from the perspective of as many as nine characters. Additionally, you should always pay attention to the chapter titles, because they are locations,

 From the description on the cover and my shortcut to the novel, it would seem that an important part of the plot will be Sylvanas’ search, and maybe also the clashes with herself. Here, however, I can reveal that this is not the case, and the main plot is outlined around the events on Zandalar and the problems of his queen. For me, it was not a problem, because I assess the idea of ​​the whole thing positively, but die-hard fans may have different feelings and expectations towards this publication.

The adventure is just beginning

I can honestly say that Roux’s novel is engaging from the very first pages and does not let go until the end. Unfortunately, I cannot compare to other literary stories from the world of WoW, but I will be glad to see if they are on a similar level. I enjoyed reading about the characters I know from games, and at the same time expanding my knowledge about the Warcraft universe (I will definitely reach for other titles in this series). The only comment I would have to publish – better graphic design of the back of the book and, for example, a hardcover, would certainly add charm to this novel.